Forty years of no SPF is the starting point. The next ten years of consistent sunscreen will do more visible work than any $80 serum can — that's not pessimism, that's the dermatology evidence base. Build the daily three (cleanser, moisturizer, sunscreen) and run them eight weeks before adding niacinamide; eight more before adding a gentle retinol. The mistake that derails most men's anti-aging attempts in month two is stacking three actives on a barrier that hasn't stabilized yet — peeling, redness, and the wrong conclusion that 'skincare doesn't work for me.' Pick the protocol; run it patiently. The eye cream is the cheapest single-product visible-tired-fix on the list and worth adding from day one.